


In Fool Bloom

by DonKoogrr



Series: Fic-Fic Drabbles [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Feels, Hanahaki Disease, fic-fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 15:23:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17388869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonKoogrr/pseuds/DonKoogrr
Summary: An alternate end to raendown'sI'll Breathe You A Gardenand maybe a new beginning?





	In Fool Bloom

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I'll Breathe You A Garden](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13767831) by [raendown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown). 



> So I'm trying to get back into my own stories, but then I wind up doing these little fic-of-a-fic things instead. #sorrynotsorry #heylookraen #itsallofficialandstuff

* * *

Madara leaves the Senju household with a tulip in his hands, a dead man's kiss upon his lips, and Hashirama's broken sobs echoing in his ears.

It hadn't been enough.

* * *

Madara rolls over in his bed to once again press his hand to his wife's pregnant belly, again in awe of the pure new life they had created together. He can feel the press of tiny feet kicking against the warmth of his palm and his wife huffs quietly, too amused at her husband's habits to complain overmuch about the wildly active child keeping her up at all hours of the night.

The match had begun as a political one, uniting a branch clan closer to the Main Family, but if either of them had been extremely opposed to the union it would have been called off without much fanfare. Luckily for everyone involved, Madara managed to convince Kito that he was worth giving up her active career for in favor of helping him run a clan the size of the Uchiha. She sometimes jokes that fighting rogue ninja would have been the easier option. (The Uchiha all have such...passionate personalities. Group events are a tightrope of keeping certain people separated at all costs.)

_"Do you think you could have loved him?"_

They don't often speak of Tobirama; most people don't even know that Madara had been the focus of the man's tragic illness. Madara had told her the real story the night before the wedding, breaking traditions and propriety to sneak into her room. He had needed her to know that someone had loved him and died for loving him. His expression had been what had assured her that she could have a life with him. She had only asked him that one question...

_"I could have. I _would_ have. There just wasn't enough time. If he had told me earlier..."_

She places her hand over his own and they are both quiet. It is an old sorrow at this point. Kito knows what her husband is thinking of when this mood strikes him. Knows _who_ he's thinking of.

_"It was cruel of him to take that chance from you."_

Madara presses his face against her shoulder, much like he had that night. There are no tears this time, though; no relief at finally being told that Tobirama's death had not been his fault.

Only hope now, for their little family, for their future.

* * *

"I'm in love with you!"

Sasuke stares at the weird girl with pink hair who is thrusting a fistful of flowers into his personal space. He is six years old and practicing his taijutsu outside of the Academy while he waits for his father to pick him up. (His father is the Chief of Police and Very Busy, but he makes sure to walk Sasuke home once a week even if he has to turn right around and go back to the precinct.) 

The girl is trembling a little, arm outstretched and face growing blotchy with embarrassment. He thinks he sort of remembers her being shy and quiet and can't really understand why she's so insistent on him answering her. (He can see some other girls badly spying on them, all of them looking upset at the girls who's name he can't remember. Even that loud yellow-haired girl is glaring, so why would this girl do something that might leave her friendless? It's stupid.)

Sasuke is six and not the most tactful child around.

"Flowers are stupid and you have a big forehead."

* * *

Fugaku is just entering the schoolyard when he witnesses a waif of a child sucker-punch his youngest child with a fistful of blossoms. There are gasps from the badly hidden children (is this what young girls do nowadays? Should he be worried for his boy?) and the girl throws the flowers at the little boy now sitting stunned on the ground for good measure before stomping away. She passes him without seeming to notice his presence, then abruptly whirls in place to point an accusing finger.

(Fugaku pretends not to notice his son's flinch at her glare. It's impressive for someone her age and the handicap of a cute face.)

"You're a jerk, but I'm still in love with you!"

The girl finally runs off and Fugaku looks down at Sasuke, who is holding a tulip, and _wonders._

"It is not wise to dismiss someone's feelings out of hand, Sasuke." The boy gets to his feet, injured pride clear on his face even as he looks to his father. It's cute. Fugaku sometimes can't believe how much of their mother his sons have in them. That's exactly the little moue of displeasure Mikoto used to get whenever she lost a spar as a child.

He ruffles his son's soft hair and takes his hand. Fugaku notes that Sasuke has yet to drop the flower he had held. "Even if you don't like her backright now, or ever, you should always be glad that someone was honest with you. I believe you're old enough for a story that's been told since shortly after the village was founded. I'll tell it to you tonight."

His son sighs, and Fugaku keeps his amusement contained. His little boy might not care for old histories, but this one about their esteemed ancester will do him good.

Fugaku is sure of it


End file.
